Strategic Intelligence Assessment Consumer Issues 2014
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1 Strategic Intelligence Assessment Consumer Issues 2014 Released 31 March 2014 This paper follows the international risk standard ISO 31000. It is intended for internal dissemination and has not been subject to review for external release, including review against our guidelines for quantitative analysis. IN CONFIDENCE This document is for official use only and is classified as IN CONFIDENCE. It can only be disseminated or duplicated with the express permission of the New Zealand Commerce Commission Intelligence Unit. 1683667.1 2 Document Production Date 31 March 2014 DocID 1683667.1 Author [ ] DDI 869 Team Leader Author position Email [email protected] Intelligence Reviewer [ ] Position Senior Intelligence Analyst Manager, Intelligence and Released by [ ] Position Screening Disseminated to Competition Branch Management Team (Action) Commissioners Disseminated to Senior Leadership Team (Information) Commission staff Acknowledgements The Intelligence team would like to acknowledge the information provided by the organisations below: · the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (Loan Complaints Line) · the Insurance and Savings Ombudsman · the Banking Ombudsman · Financial Dispute Resolution Services (now known as FairWay Resolution) · Financial Services Complaints Limited · the New Zealand Federation of Family Budgeting Services, and · Consumer NZ IN CONFIDENCE This document is for official use only and is classified as IN CONFIDENCE. It can only be disseminated or duplicated with the express permission of the New Zealand Commerce Commission Intelligence Unit. 1683667.1 3 IN CONFIDENCE This document is for official use only and is classified as IN CONFIDENCE. It can only be disseminated or duplicated with the express permission of the New Zealand Commerce Commission Intelligence Unit. 1683667.1 4 CONTENTS DOCUMENT PRODUCTION...........................................................................................................2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................. 2 PURPOSE ....................................................................................................................................5 INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................5 THE METHODOLOGY USED IN THIS ASSESSMENT .........................................................................5 SECTION 1: EXAMINING THE WIDER CONSUMER ENVIRONMENT .................................................6 ECONOMIC INFLUENCES ............................................................................................................... 6 General construction boom ................................................................................................................. 6 The Christchurch rebuild ...................................................................................................................... 7 THE COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................... 7 THE RETAIL ENVIRONMENT .......................................................................................................... 9 Socio-demographic economic considerations ...................................................................................... 9 Vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers .......................................................................................... 9 Retail breakdown ............................................................................................................................... 10 Virtual retailing is challenging physical retailing ............................................................................... 10 Overall complaint patterns ................................................................................................................ 11 Bricks and mortar .............................................................................................................................. 12 Online ................................................................................................................................................. 13 Fraudulent conduct ............................................................................................................................ 15 THE INCREASING INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ........................................................................ 15 CONTINUED TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES .................................................................................. 16 CONSUMER CREDIT ..................................................................................................................... 17 SECTION 2: THE RISKS TO CONSUMERS AND MARKETS .............................................................. 21 HOW WE CONSIDER DETRIMENT ................................................................................................ 22 THE MOST HARMFUL ISSUES AFFECTING CONSUMERS AND MARKETS ..................................... 23 EMERGING RISKS ......................................................................................................................... 23 CONSIDERING THE MOST HARMFUL ISSUES ............................................................................... 24 New Zealand’s geographic isolation .................................................................................................. 24 Lenders charging excessive fees ........................................................................................................ 24 The disproportionate degree of harm generated by a small number of traders ............................... 24 Domestic appliance retail .................................................................................................................. 24 The increasing detriment from scams and frauds ............................................................................. 25 Lower tier lenders cause the most financial harm to consumers....................................................... 25 The truck shop business model .......................................................................................................... 26 Increasing detriment from online traders .......................................................................................... 26 Intercompany personal relationships ................................................................................................ 27 Industry associations ......................................................................................................................... 27 Break fees on phone contracts........................................................................................................... 27 THE ISSUES AFFECTING CONSUMERS AND MARKETS ................................................................. 28 SECTION 3: POSSIBLE CANDIDATES FOR THE MAJOR TRADER PROGRAMME ............................... 32 Analysis in context ............................................................................................................................. 32 PRIORITISED TRADERS ................................................................................................................. 32 THE PRIORITISATION PROCESS .................................................................................................... 32 TOP 25 TRADERS ......................................................................................................................... 33 ATTACHMENT A – COMMERCE ACT, 2013 COMPLAINTS ANALYSIS ............................................. 39 ATTACHMENT B – FAIR TRADING ACT, 2013 COMPLAINTS ANALYSIS .......................................... 42 ATTACHMENT C – CCCFA, 2013 COMPLAINTS ANALYSIS ............................................................. 45 ATTACHMENT D – [ ] DATA ........................................................................................ 49 ATTACHMENT E – AGGREGATED [ ] AND COMMISSION CCCFA DATA .............................. 52 END NOTES ...............................................................................................................................53 IN CONFIDENCE This document is for official use only and is classified as IN CONFIDENCE. It can only be disseminated or duplicated with the express permission of the New Zealand Commerce Commission Intelligence Unit. 1683667.1 5 Purpose 1. To identify current and potential issues for consumers, and provide the findings to the Branch management team for 2014/15 business year planning. Introduction 2. This strategic assessment has been undertaken to look widely at the issues currently affecting consumers, and to identify potential issues for the year ahead. 3. It is intended to inform the Branch management team and assist them with selecting and prioritising work for the year ahead. 4. The assessment begins with a high-level examination of our operating environment to establish the context in which the Commission operates. The paper then identifies the current and potential issues facing consumers, before nominating a pool of risks for prioritisation. 5. The assessment draws on research and media sources available on the internet, complaints data from a number of consumer orientated organisations, and knowledge from Commission staff. The methodology used in this assessment 6. The assessment started with a series of brainstorms using the PESTELM methodology, with approximately